Kimzie©

My dietician recommended making a list of distractions. She said ideally, they should be things that make you feel good. I received some posh bath stuff for Xmas and even though I don't comfortably fit in my bath, I have a long hot shower, light candles, music and treat myself top to toe. Everything I can start doing now to moisturise and massage will hopefully help the health of my skin and therefore give it a better chance to bounce back. If I keep doing this, I'll look tonnes better before I know it, I'm all done and feeling so fresh and good that I'm motivated to ignore the fridge. Other things could be so your nails, buy some magazines and have them around the house- ones with clothes you would love to be wearing etc etc! Hope that helps

Hi Lucky, sorry to hear that, it must be frustrating! I'm on the 17th so feel free to keep in touch as we'll probably be going through all the same things!

hi Melanie! I'm on my first day of the liquid diet and it's fine so far but it's always the evening for me when I get friendly with the fridge! Great to hear that at day 3 it's easier, I'm going to keep thinking that over the next couple of days when it's difficult!

Hi I'm Kim and I'm having my surgery in Oxford UK at the end of Feb at The Manor. I'm 30 and I've been so depressed and in a cycle of weight loss and gain- I'm really excited to be finally setting the date! Is anyone else having surgery end of Feb, aged around 30 or from UK? Would be great to find some friends to discuss the coming weeks and months having decided to proceed with a bypass. Let's do this! Time for Kim 2.0! Xx

Thanks Roxanne (I love that name btw!) I have been doing some googling and found people mainly discussing a raw milk diet (straight from the cow, not pasteurised) but thank goodness this isn't the one I'll be doing. I found another version which says: Introduction Pre op diet- milk diet This low calorie diet is essential to make your surgery safer. Patients undergoing obesity surgery tend to have very enlarged livers. If the liver is too big it will be very difficult for the surgeon to perform the operation safely. If this is the case, the surgeon may cancel or postpone your operation. Weight loss before surgery decreases the size of the liver. Not only does this reduce your risk during surgery, but it makes the surgeon’s task easier. It is necessary for you to follow a low calorie, low carbohydrate diet before surgery. This diet will encourage the body to use up glycogen stores (carbohydrate which is stored in the liver) and thus helping to shrink the size of your liver. This low calorie diet needs to be followed for 2-4 weeks before surgery. You will be told how long you need to follow the diet for. Daily allowance: You MUST HAVE the following: 4 pints of semi skimmed milk 2 pints (1 litre) of other fluid 1 multivitamin and mineral tablet (e.g. Sanatogen A-Z Complete or Centrum Advance) 1 salty drink e.g. stock cube, Bovril (1 teaspoon in hot water), marmite (1 teaspoon hot water) Allowed Drinks: at least 2 pints (1 litre) of the following: No added sugar or diet variety soft drinks Tea or coffee using milk from allowance (you can use a sweetener but must not use sugar) Water Flavoured water (providing it doesn’t contain sugar – check the label) Allowed extras: Sugar free jelly- 1 sachet a day Sugar free chewing gum- maximum 3 pieces a day Following the pre-op milk diet It is important to have a routine for taking your milk. Try to divide it into glasses taken regularly throughout the day. For example: 8am, 12 noon, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm I posted all that as I hope it's useful to someone else! It'll be hard but it will SO be worth it. I tried to do a Zumba class in my bedroom whilst streaming the class on YouTube. I was HYPERVENTILATING after about 5 mins lol! Took a rest, did a bit more. It was fun but lonely!! Can't wait until I can JUMP. With just a few stone off I reckon I could attack a class like that in real life

I have my pre-op appointment with a bariatric nurse this Friday. I know they will weigh me and take bloods (and I bruise like crazy as my veins always collapse so they jab me a zillion times!) but what else will they do? I'm nervous and excited! I'm seeing my surgeon and dietitian the Monday after and I'll be starting two weeks of milk diet. Has anyone else been given a milk diet? Is it literally just plain milk for each mealtime? Just think, a month from now we'll all be turning away chocolate, pizza, fried foods, sugar filled pop. I can't wait! Sick of the endless guilt and the cycle of eat-guilt-hate on self-eat-guilt etc!!! We are all BRAVE and we're going to SMASH THIS!

I'm Feb 17th too! Eek! Exciting! I have pre assessment on Friday 30th.

Hi Katie! I'm a month away too, my surgery is 17th February in the UK. Can't wait but it's also scary! I think this forum is great and I've found tonnes of helpful people going through the same struggles! I'm 30, 5ft7 and I'm 137kgs (about 305lbs!). I want to be more like 137lbs not 137kg!! I'll get there though! What are your stats? I wish you the best of luck and hopefully we can both post again in a few months confirming this is the best decision of our lives!

It's natural that our cravings will still be there- it's why you often see so many forum posters talking about after surgery being the part that requires the most hard work. 50lbs is fantastic- when was the last time you dropped this much in 3.5months? It's incredible and you should be super proud of yourself! I think of making comparisons as a bit like school. At school there was always the kids who read the book the night before and passed with A+. Frustrating for those (like me!) who were trying to keep up day to day but still didn't get the results of the other kids. But it didn't mean I hadn't developed as a person. It's the same with anything. There will always be other bypassers who have lost more at the same stage, some claiming it's easy, painless and weight is falling off. They're lucky and best wishes to them but there are so many different factors that we can't compare and must instead try to make the very best of our journey. Don't be hard on yourself, and please don't feel ashamed. I believe shame is the most damaging of all emotions and makes us feel alone. We have enough of that in our lives from being big and exploited. You are doing great. Lastly, I understand it's not cheap but perhaps book to see a dietician again. I find them surprisingly non-judgemental. There whole job is to help people with issues around food. Think of it as a refresher and a chance to be open and honest because they can act like a second conscience and carefully and kindly guide you away from bad choices. I am seeing a dietician, psychologist and psychiatrist to 'hold hands around me' ensuring that when I can't eat the way I used to due to the bypass, I can deal with the psychological complications of suddenly not having food to turn to anymore. I'd really recommend it as what you have done is brave, challenging and rewarding but sometimes we need a bit of help reminding us of that! Wow! Sorry for the essay! Xx

Has anyone's surgeon asked them to do a milk diet pre surgery? My surgeon wants me to do this for two weeks and this may seem like a very silly question at first but what does in include? Obviously milk but in what quantities and can it be flavoured or added to tea and coffee like a latte? Whole milk or skimmed? Cows milk or other milks ok? I'm seeing my surgeon again in early Feb to discuss but I'm horribly impatient due to all the excitement and want to know! Ahmygaaad it's really happening! We're getting our lives back peeps!

Hi Carrits! What are you putting in your smoothies? K x

Hi y'all! I posted earlier (Feb 17th surgery!!!). Is there anyone here from the UK and if so, have you been given advice on Protein shake brands in the UK and supplements? Want to get well stocked! I wonder if our taste buds will change after surgery- genuinely hope I get Dumping as my sweet tooth is my enemy! When in doubt, turn to this tiny potato! K x

Hi! Congrats on your date, I just got mine too, it's 17th February. Keep posting how you're getting on! Nervous and excited but in a year from now we will look back and laugh at being nervous with all the wonderful things we'll be able to see and do! What are you most looking forward to? I can't wait to ride a jetski, go diving in a wet suit, fly around the world because the seats aren't too small and have the energy to explore. Once it's safe to, my husband and I want to have kids. Really now realise how much I've let myself miss out on- but not anymore! . All the best! x

Hi! I'm the 17th and so nervous and excited- I get butterflies when I think of it! I'm all the way over in the UK, near London. Good luck everyone x

Thanks Amina, yes I'll have a peek at the groups in Facebook- great idea thanks! I did lighter life back in 2009/10 as I'd got to about 120kg and didn't want to be huge in the biggest day of my life, my wedding. I lost 4 1/2stone and could fit in a size 16- it was incredible! Now I've gained it all back and more having promised myself I never would! I really think seeing a dietician and a psychologist is helping me to understand how to eat healthily again- I was so disordered in the way I ate only a few months back. I would not eat all day out of guilt for being overweight then be so hungry in the evening I would binge. My self esteem has been so low. The gastric bypass will be the first tangible start to a long journey of weight management and getting some genuine confidence back. I can't lie, I'm pinning a lot on the surgery to give me the initial boost. My surgeon believed the surgery can realistically get me to 80-85kg, and he says I'll need to really get addicted to exercise if I want to push for my idea BMI at 65kg. What are all of your weight goals if you don't mind me asking? Also, what can't you wait to try on and own once your at a size where you can shop where you like? I want to do a capsule wardrobe so I have less pieces but they can all work together and I can spend a little more in each rather than buy tonnes of clothes that will fray or fall apart after a few wears. It's working as great motivation for me! How do you all keep motivated when times get tough? K x

Hi, I'm on the South East (Bucks) and I will be having surgery privately in about 8 weeks. My surgeon believes the bypass is best for me as I get quite bad heartburn which can apparently increase with the sleeve so he advised a bypass. I'm nervous, excited, working hard to lose more in the meantime but it's hard. I know it will get harder after surgery so must keep preparing myself! Weirdly, I've been dreaming about all the exercise I want to do. I was big as a child and became bigger and bigger until I'm now 139kg, 5"7. I played a lot of tennis and was really good at it- I want to run around on that court again and feel a buzz whizzing that ball back and forth over the net! I also really miss dancing, which I did a lot as a child. Had my husband watching Strictly Come Dancing so I could entice him into lessons with me once I get to a size where I can move around more gracefully! I want to have a family more than anything now I've turned 30 as we have no kids, just a cat! If there is anyone who would like a buddy and especially if you live near enough and fancy trying out some dance classes, Zumba etc in a few months, that would be great! Wishing you all the best of luck, K x

Hi! I'm in Bucks in the UK, seeing my surgeon for initial consultation tomorrow for self pay WLS. So excited I'm not sure if I'll sleep tonight! Also really nervous as I would like to have surgery ASAP but I've been seeing a psychologist, psychiatrist and dietician for anxiety,depression and overeating since September, but it's not my surgeons usual team so I hope the work I've done counts. I'm hoping the surgeon will have a space for me ASAP having completed the PRE OP diet first of course. I'm 5ft7 and 139kg, tried all the diets and been a big girl all of my adult life. Praying after tomorrow's consultation I'll have the chance to make a change! Where are you up to now? Best of luck, Kim